Eleven Plus Seven Equals?
by xRainyx
Summary: Annabeth insists Nico take a crash course in remedial math. What happens when Nico can't figure out a simple math problem? All Hades breaks loose!


Math shall rest in Tartarus. I'm not kidding, it will. Math has always been my weak spot in school, and I never planned on going back. I felt my math days were behind me once I came to camp. Well, I felt wrong. Whoever knew I would be placed with a math problem so hard?

So, there I was in the middle of a crash-course in remedial math. That girl, Annabeth forced me into it. at the age of eleven, I was supposed to know basic adding and subtracting.

"Nico, what's 2+2?" Annabeth asked. We were sitting in her cabin. It made me kind of uncomfortable to be stuck in a girls cabin.

"Oh, that's easy. 4." I answered confidently. Annabeth kept on.

"Okay, now what is 5+3?" She asked. I stuck up a few fingers and counted silently. Annabeth waited patiently. Once I was sure of my answer, I told her.

"8, of course." Annabeth just nodded.

"Okay, now 11+7." She looked at me, as if she was expecting an immediate answer. I thought really hard for a minute, then pulled out my fingers.

"Um...10?" I guessed. Annabeth sighed.

"No, Nico. Try again." I tried again. I counted my fingers, but I didn't have enough.

"Umm, Annabeth? I don't have enough fingers." Annabeth chuckled a little. "Hey!" I shot at her, but she just smiled.

"Okay, Nico, imagine this. Minos calls 7 spirits up from the dead-"

"Minos can't bring up spirits- he is a spirit." I corrected her. She sighed. I smiled with pleasure, but she kept talking.

"Fine. Um, okay, let's say when you were younger, Bianca bought you 7 pieces of candy and-"

"Bianca never let me have candy." I started to feel Annabeth become aggravated.

"Hades uses eleven skele-"

"But-"

"NICO!" Annabeth cut me off. "Can we please focus?" She asked desperately. I shook my head.

"I'm ADHD, do you really think I can focus?" Annabeth let out a breath through clenched teeth. I found pleasure in making her mad. I crossed my arms over my chest as Annabeth tried to figure out what to do.

"Okay," she finally said."you have 15 minutes to figure out what 7+11 equals. When the dinner bell rings, I expect an answer." A smile spread across her face. I scowled.

"But...what if I don't?" Annabeth shook her finger.

"Then you don't eat." It took about ten seconds for me to be out of the cabin.

* * *

I ran frantically around camp, hoping to find somebody I knew. My eyes skimmed the camp until I came across two kids near the lava rock wall. I recognized them as those two twins from lunch. What was it? Travis and Conner? Anyways, those were the first people I went up to.

"Hey, guys!" I yelled. They stepped back from me, surprised.

"Yo emo kid." One of them said, possibly Travis. I scowled at the comment.

"I am NO emo kid! Now tell me, I need to know! What is 7+11?" There was an awkward silence for a while before the other kid answered, Conner.

"Why should we tell you?" He said smugly. I clenched my fists.

"I have no time for this. Just tell me!" I pleaded. Travis patted my head, like I was a little dog.

"S'okay, emo kid. We understand." I clenched my fists.

_"_ V_rizo!" _I cursed in Greek, and walked away. There had to be someone here who would tell me what 7+11. was. I looked around camp until my sight caught the big house. I broke into a run for it.

"Chiron! Chiron! It's an emergency!" I pounded on the door with both hands and shouted until Chiron was at the door.

"Nico! Calm down boy, what is it?" He held out his hands, flustered. He was in his wheelchair form. I looked up at him.

"I have to know!"

"Know what?"

"What's 11+7?" I panted as the words came out. Chiron just gave me one of those "are serious?" glances.

"Nico, did Annabeth set you up with this?" He asked after a moment of confused silence. I nodded. He sighed. "Nico, I can't tell you the answer, you have to think about it." I let out a displeased grunt.

"_Why_do I have to think about it?" I whined. Chiron patted my head, just as Conner had done.

"You're a growing boy, Nico. Thinking'll do you good." I stomped away angrily. I didn't have time to deal with some old guy. I looked around camp, hopelessly.I found myself walking towards the ocean, passing a clock on my way down. 8 minutes. I had 8 minute to dinner. I could see the sun setting in the distance, where the planet seemed to drop. If there was one thing I loved about camp, it was the sunset. I loved how it set perfectly on the ocean, sporting it's pink tone. I found myself lost in the see as I just looked at it for a few moments.

Wind whipped past me as 11 seagulls flew past me. Wait, 11 seagulls? Excitedly, I ran with the seagulls as they flew.

"Wait! I am son of Hades, and I command you to wait!" If someone saw me running right now, they would probably think I was an idiot. I stood near the clock from before, leaning against a tree, panting.

"11...11..." The number kept rolling through my head. I found myself looking up at the clock. 7 minutes till dinner. Hang on a sec'- 7 minutes till dinner. 11 seagulls. I began to count. Starting from 11, I counted up 7.

"11...12...13...14...15...16...17...18...18! The answer is 18!" I smiled, pleased with myself. I jumped up and down like a monkey on a sugar-high. I couldn't wait to tell Annabeth. Yep, you know what comes next.

"ANNABETH!" I shouted, again looking like an idiot. I flailed my arms up and down as I darted for the Athena cabin. I caught Annabeth on her way out. I was panting with my hands on my knees once I got there.

"An-na-b-beth!" I stuttered. My entrance had pretty much taken her by surprise.

"What, Nico?" She asked. "do you know the answer?" I shook my head.

"11+7 is 18!" I shouted, almost a little too loud. Annabeth looked confused for a bit. Oh no! Had I gotten it wrong? I was sure I had it right!

"Ha, congrats Nico. Let's go get food." She smiled.

"Yes!" I shouted, triumphantly as a dashed towards the pavilion.

Math will still rest happily in Tartarus, but I know I will never forget the day I figured out what 11+7 was.

**A/N- Yep, another one of my Oneshots that came off the top of my head. Reviews for Nico's success, please! **


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